Parking and landscaping for new Westfield Rocky's Ace Hardward Store up for Planning Board review

Construction of the new store is scheduled for completion later this year.

WESTFIELD – Customer parking at a new $2 million Rocky’s Ace Hardware Store being built at Main and Free streets will be the focus when the Planning Board meets Tuesday to consider revisions to a plan approved last year.

The new facility is being constructed to the rear of the existing Rocky’s store which will be torn down to create a parking lot off Main Street..

That proposal was called disappointing by City Planner Lawrence B. Smith Friday.

“I am disappointed by the cut back, concerned with parking in front and awaiting their plans to provide a buffer there,” said Smith, explaining the need to block the parking lot view from Main Street.

The Planning Board will meet at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Rocky’s is owned by Falcone retail Properties which originally proposed a much larger project several years ago for the Main and Free streets area. That $10 million plan included demolition and new construction involving three parcels in that neighborhood. A victim of the economic downturn over the past several years has forced a scale back of the project to just the new Rocky’s at this time, officials said.

Rocco Falcone, president of Rocky’s, was unable to be reached for comment Friday but in a prepared statement he said the new store will provide expanded gardening and pain sections and called the new facility ‘state-of-the-art’. He said the project was being done now because of city efforts to revamp the downtown, including the on-going $14.5 million reconstruction involving Main and Broad streets and Park Square.

The existing Rocky’s will remain open during construction of the new store, scheduled to be completed later this year. That building will be razed once construction of the new store is completed.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said Friday Falcone’s investment in the new facility, along with planned upgrades to parking and the Main and Free street corner represents “great faith in Westfield.

“We are excited about the plans for the new building and how Rocky’s Ace Hardware will re-develop its Main Street site,” Knapik said.